December 28, 2011
Deadline for NAIC Reporting of Property Type and Rate Draws Concern
American Land Title Association
Effective Jan. 1, 2012, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), which governs annual statement reporting requirements for the title insurance industry, will require the property type and rate on all reported title policies. This requirement to expand the title insurance "state page" was adopted by the NAIC Blanks Working Group in 2009. At the time, the NAIC said the change was justified because the types of property (residential and non-residential) have differing levels of risk and expense. Read More >
New TLTA Leadership Academy - Application Deadline Jan. 12!
TLTA is proud to announce the new Alex H. Halff Leadership Academy that will debut in Austin, April 2-3, 2012. Nominate a deserving young professional to be considered for this elite new program, which is designed to develop and grow young title professionals for the future of our industry. To nominate a candidate, have them submit the application to TLTA by the January 12 deadline. A letter of recommendation is required. Space is limited to 50 participants so nominees should complete their application as soon as possible. Download Application >
Court: New Texas Districts May Be Discriminatory
Austin American-Statesman
There are "genuine issues" of whether Texas Republicans in the Legislature intentionally discriminated against Hispanics in redrawing the state's political maps, three federal court judges said in an opinion. The Washington-based court sought to explain why it refused to approve redistricting maps drawn earlier this year by the Legislature. Texas is one of 16 states covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act and must get pre-approval from either the Dept. of Justice of the federal district court in Washington before changing any voting laws. The rule applies to states with a history of racial discrimination. Read More >
Treasury to Name Housing Finance Director
The Wall Street Journal
Michael Stegman, a housing and domestic policy director at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, will join the Treasury Department in January as a counselor to Secretary Timothy Geithner for housing-finance policy, according to a senior Treasury official. The appointment comes as the Obama administration has given renewed attention in recent months to housing amid concerns that the depressed sector threatens to restrain the broader economic recovery. Read More >